R e B i r t h
by HoshikoNii
Summary: Meet Aoi, a 17 year old who is a complete book worm. She was always a romantic, fantasizing of the perfect stranger whisking her away, instead she got stuck with a contradicting bastard. Kanda X Oc with Allen x Oc later on
1. Chapter 1

_**R e** - B i r t h_

By: TLL

**Author's Note/Disclaimer:** I do not own DGM. I do however, own my Oc and the story idea. Well, here's my try at a Kanda story. I hope it's not bad. No flamers, but constructive Critiques are welcomed and appreciated. This first chapter, is really just introducing Aoi. Anyways, Enjoy and tell me what you think! - TTL

_Chapter one: The book_

* * *

" Aoi. Not again."

The blue headed teen gasped as her head snapped up, her mismatched eyes wide with surprise behind her thick rimmed glasses. Her mouth hung slack as she subconsciously slammed her book closed and hid it under her bottom, her hands coming back and folding themselves lazily across her lap. She offered a small smile, her cheeks rosy with embarrassment for being caught for the fifth time today.

A middle aged red head stood at the entrance of the romance aisle, her arms crossed heavily over her chest while she gave the girl a look of disapproval. She stood this way for awhile before she gave in and an exasperated sigh escaped her lips, her hand coming up to massage the growing migraine in her temples.

" Aoi, how many times have I told you? No reading while on the job."

Aoi looked down at her ragged sneakers, her toes fiddling with each other as she mentally counted in her head how many times she had heard the phrase spoken. She glanced up when she had the answer, her lower lip pouting, the blush intensifying.

" Since I've started this job, approximately, 565 times."

The red head's eyes snapped open and her mouth hung ajar as she stared at the mousy girl. She gave a small laugh as she shook her head , her hands falling to her side.

" Yes, that sounds about right. About a month now, but still, no matter how many times I tell you not to, you still do so. Aoi, you're going to end up losing this job if you don't learn to listen, do you want that?"

The blue haired girl paled considerably.

" No! of course not!"

" Then will you refrain from reading while on the job? I allow it while you're on break, so the least you could do is refrain yourself."

Aoi gave a nod as her mismatched eyes hardened in determination. She mock saluted the red head as she stood from her position on the floor, three or four books revealing themselves to both.

Both persons stood in silence, Aoi mentally crying and cursing herself, while Renny - the red head - sighed again, mumbling something between the lines of needing an aspirin or a smoke.

Two minutes later had Aoi standing at the check in, check out counter with her chin placed in the palm of her hand. Her eyes half lidded with boredom and sleep as she watched people walk by the old book store's entrance door. She couldn't understand how they could do that; just walk by a building full of books and not once glance in. Books were, well, they were amazing in Aoi's mind. If she could - and mostly always did - she'd choose to read nothing but books all day.

Renny walked out of the back room, adjusting the strap of her purse before glancing up at Aoi with a rather large grin plastered on her face. Aoi blanked, Renny always got this way during lunch, she never understood why.

" Well, My break starts now. Watch the store while I'm away Aoi?"

" Yeah."

" Good. Be back in an hour. No books."

She beamed the first part, but growled the last part causing Aoi's hair to stand on end. Aoi gulped before nodding dumbly, not sure if she could form a coherent sentence. The red headed woman skipped out the shop's front door, Aoi watching her closely, not understanding why her employer was always so…

' Oh.'

Aoi looked dumbfounded as she watched Renny grab onto a tall man's elbow, her smile even greater than when she left the building. So that's why she was always so peppy and happy when it came to her lunch break? Aoi grumbled as she plopped her chin back on her open palm, she glared out the window at nothing in particular.

She envied people like that. People like Renny who had actually found someone, while all she could find were the strangers depicted in the stories she read. She wished, she could find some handsome stranger, one that would whisk her away and give her all the splendors of the world, but that was just her romantics side speaking, Aoi knew that someone like that, could and probably would never exist for her. She sighed as she closed her eyes, she wanted one of her books now.

' But Renny told me not to, else, She was going to kick me out this time and I can't afford to be kicked out. I need the pay for this month's rent.'

Aoi thought sadly as she opened her eyes and glanced at the wooden counter. If she lost this job, there was no way she would be able to keep up with school tuition and rent; she was already a month or two behind on rent as it was. Besides, She was very fond of this job, the atmosphere, was a lot more welcoming than others had been.

' Then, it's settled. No books until break time!'

She gave a firm nod of her head, her bottom lip pouting. She was determined to do as she was asked to do. Besides, break wasn't that far away, just another three hours or so.

Her determination deflated as it thought of three long hours with nothing to read, this, should be illegal. She gave a heavy sigh as she slouched against the counter, her head hanging low in despair. She wanted them, she needed them, she wanted her books.

She had been so deep into her brooding state and inner battler , that Aoi had not heard the entrance bell ring, signaling that someone had entered the shop. It wasn't until the figure stood in front of the girl and actually spoke to her that Aoi took notice.

" Excuse me?"

" Ah!"

Aoi made a tiny exclamation in the back of her throat as she jumped up from her slouched position against the counter, her glasses slipping down the ridge of her nose. Her eyes blinked in surprise.

An old woman with salt-and-pepper hair stood in front of the counter with a warm smile across her wrinkled face. She tilted her head in a questionable manner towards the girl. A soft laugh, almost like the sound of a wind chime, echoing through the small building.

" U-Um. Welcome! How may I be of assistance to you today."

The woman raised a hand, showing the girl that she didn't need to make such a fuss.

Aoi sighed in appreciation and relief as she gave a crooked grin, the flame in her cheeks from her recent embarrassment disappearing to a minor tinge.

" I came to donate this book."

"Oh!"

Aoi bounced back onto the counter as the woman extended a worn leather-bound book towards her. She grasped the spine gently, as not to damage it, and pulled it back against her chest where she cradled it while she fixed her glasses before she turned the book over so the front cover faced her and examined it.

Her eyes lit up.

It was a small leather-bound black book with a golden clasp on it. On the golden clasp - which had suffered dearly from time and was almost a faded brass - was an inscription of a small lotus design. To Aoi, it looked almost like a family crest of sorts. She glanced up , the awe shimmering in the depths of her eyes.

" This looks like an antique, almost like a family heirloom. Are you certain you wish to donate this to our shop?"

The old woman laughed again, causing the girl to blush, she ducked her head as she felt her ears warm.

The woman turned towards the girl, and smiled as she motioned for the book to be returned. Aoi did so, but not as enthusiastically as she had thought she would have, no, instead she felt almost sorry to let it go.

" This book, has been in my family. For centuries. I am, the last of my kin."

The girl ducked away further, feeling horrible to have made the elder bring up lost family and probably , unwanted memories.

" We've kept this book, passing it down from generation to generation, hoping that it would find what it wished and who it wished, but as of now it has yet to pick someone. This book is a very special book, the one who holds it will be linked to god. "

Aoi raised a brow, now she was just thinking the lady seemed rather, loony. She knew that all books, not just certain types, but all, could link you to your dreams, but never, god?

" By the raise of that little brow of yours I can see you may think me crazy. Well, no matter, it is the truth. "

She handed the book back to Aoi who took it and placed it once again close to her chest. She tilted her head as the woman watched the book for a few seconds with speculating eyes before turning back to Aoi.

" It did not choose someone from my kin, so perhaps it was not meant for anyone in my kin, but someone from another. I'm happy to give this to your shop. There's a wider variety of people for it to choose from here."

Aoi gave a nod, not really sure what to tell the woman. The woman shrugged.

" Well, hopefully it finds what it's looking for here. Hm, Oh dear, I'm bound to be late for the next train if I don't hurry along. Bye dears."

With that the woman offered Aoi one last smile before she turned and left, the entrance bell ringing a good-bye.

' That, was weird…'

Aoi glanced down at the book clutched to her chest, and turned it back around, her finger running over the clasp. She was about to pop it open to read through the pages but thought better of it. She closed her eyes and bit her lower lip, her face taking on the pout of a seven year-old.

' Renny told me not to, Job on line, must restrain…'

She glanced at the book and reached out for it…

Renny walked in through the shop's entrance thirty minutes later with a sour expression on her face, she was already suspecting Aoi of breaking her promise, right when she saw the girl her sour expression turned into a strangled choke as she tried to refrain from laughing.

" Aoi?"

The girl looked up from her position on the counter, her eyes widening.

"Freennyy!"

She beamed, relief flooding through her eyes.

The red headed employer walked up to the counter , amusement hammering in her eyes as she laid her hand on a randomly placed piece of tape. The whole counter was full of tape, and so were Aoi's wrists. Renny glanced up, a brow raised questionably at Aoi who just gave a nervous laugh muffled by the tape wrapped around her mouth.

" I see you had a hard time with the no reading books policy."

Aoi nodded stiffly, trying to keep the tape in her hair from ripping out strands. Renny sighed as she shook her head, a hand resting on a certain piece of tape on Aoi's Cheek.

" Well, brace yourself, this is going to hurt."

She said the last part with glee before she pulled harshly on the tape. All Aoi could do was blink in astonishment at the stinging in her skin.

Ten minutes later, Aoi was slouching in front of Renny, a hand rubbing at her cheek and tears shimmering behind her lashes. She sniffled as she handed the book on the counter over towards Renny, who took it questioningly .

" What's this?"

" An old woman came in here, she said she wanted to donate this book to the shop."

Renny looked over the cover towards Aoi's crestfallen face, a smile springing to her own face at the teenager's blotchy skin. She sighed as she took the book and handed it back. The girl looked up with a blank stare.

" Keep it. Think of it as , a job well done."

Aoi grabbed the book.

" Th-thank you."

" Yeah, yeah. So, you leaving yet?"

" Um?"

Renny shook her head.

" You didn't change your timetables again, did you?"

" No…"

" What am I going to do with you Aoi? "

Aoi laughed as she scratched her cheek. She didn't know how to answer because she hardly knew what to do with herself at times either.

" Go home."

Renny deadpanned as she pushed Aoi out the front of the shop, she stood there for awhile as she waved the girl off , then went back in to tend to her shop. She'd have hell with the tape, which more than likely was coming out of Aoi's next pay.

The blue headed teen shrugged as she walked away from the shop.

" I got a new book."

She grinned as she glanced down at the book, she had stopped walking, waiting for the little person above on the sign to appear, signaling her to walk again. Her finger played with the golden clasp, struggling to open the small lotus. She grunted as she mentally cheered herself wrong.

A small beep and her subconscious automatically took to walking across the street.

' Got you.'

She grinned as the clasp came undone. Her grin blanked when she saw a bright light directed at her, when she looked up, she didn't even have time to react, as the car crashed into her form.


	2. Chapter 2

_**R e** - B i r t h_

By: TLL

**Author's Note/Disclaimer:** I do not own DGM. I do however, own my Oc and the story idea. Its been a while since I have updated this story. I'm sorry, but here's an extra long chapter to make up. Note, that there's still no DGM members yet. That will be the next chapter, but still, I like this chapter and how I wrote out the foreshadowing elements. Well, I hope you enjoy it please Review and let me know what you think! =3

_Chapter two: The Chosen_

_

* * *

_

Aoi couldn't understand the world around her, she couldn't comprehend when it was that she was conscious or unconscious within it. All she knew was that the pain pulsing through her body was equal within both realms.

' I always had a sneaking suspicion I was going to die with a book in my hand…'

Her mind dwindled, fading back into the white buzz of electricity that hissed restlessly within her body. Fading until it was no more.

* * *

" Don't go…'

A little figure begged, large orbs blinking back tears that bore trails down their pale complexion. The room they stood in illuminating, bleaching until there was nothing more, but the sounds of wind chimes.

* * *

" Hm. "

Aoi hummed groggily to herself as slowly, her senses began to return to her. She thought she had heard someone just then. Crying out to her, begging her not to leave them, not to go.

She laid still, watching the ceiling aimlessly.

Her body felt so detached from her current mind but it wasn't just a feeling it was a fact. Her mind and body were so far detached , that she still had failed to acknowledge that she had finally awoken from her sleep. It wasn't until she heard and felt the movement of someone next to her that she was pulled further into realization and reality.

" Aoi? "

The unsure whisper through the almost silent room caused her to shift in confusion. Slowly she glanced up through her only visible eye and gazed at the face of the shadow that loomed over her. At first, the image was blurred but slowly, it focused and soon Renny's face came into view.

Aoi opened her mouth to speak but found that no matter how much she tried she couldn't bring herself to. It wasn't that it hurt to speak, it was just, her mind was chaos, lost in other things unable to form words that sounded right for the occasion.

The silence remained with them, not a single word uttered. Just their quiet breathing; the sound of the heart monitor and the sound of hospital life just outside in the hallway their only company.

Renny blinked, her mouth hanging ajar a little as she reopened her eyes, her large green settling on the girl beneath her. Aoi blinked in confusion as she felt cool skin against her own.

" Renny? "

The girl winced as the name left her lips, cracking horribly and settling painfully against her ears. How long had it been since she had last used her vocal chords?

The woman gasped , eyes widening almost brightening as she heard her name fall from the blue headed girl's lips. She had been waiting for sometime in urgency to hear her speak again. Her mouth opened, forming vowels but none felt right.

" Aoi?"

She gave a slight smile as she nodded reassuring the woman that it was indeed her.

" Aoi! "

The woman exclaimed happily after a few seconds, her body throwing itself on top of the girl, causing her to whine uncharacteristically as the weight was distributed on top of her unevenly.

" Renny, you're heavy. "

The red headed woman ignored the teens nagging as she hugged the girl for dear life, small beads of tears forming at the corner of her eyes as she rubbed her cheek against the hospital sheets sobbing quietly.

" Thank god. You're finally awake. You're okay. "

Aoi stiffened as she felt the woman embrace her even more tightly than before, grasping her as if she were to disappear at any given moment. The vibrations of her words being repeated slowly seeping in through the thin fabric of her hospital gown causing her to shiver. What had happened to her again and how serious had it been?

" Renny?"

The blunette questioned, her brow furrowing. The woman gazed up from her position on top of the girl's midsection, eyes wide with their own confusion and questioning.

" What happened? "

She eyed the female, taking her image into memory. She looked better now that her eyes weren't so depressingly still, but still the gauze wrapped around her head made her stand on alert.

She closed her eyes as she recomposed herself, pushing away from the girl and away to the bed to stand beside it.

Aoi, silently followed. Her form pushing itself with minor difficulty into a sitting position. When she was comfortable enough, she turned her attention to Renny who smiled causing the teen further confusion and slight fear.

" Ren- AH! "

The red headed woman silenced the blunette with a fierce smack to the head causing the girl to yelp in pain as she doubled over on the bed, hands holding the back of her head as a migraine began to settle. She glanced up, hissing in anger and annoyance.

" What the heck! Renny. "

The red head frowned deeply as she watched the girl.

" Shut up!"

The force in the older woman's voice caused the girl to instantly clam up, only slightly wincing as her head throbbed with pain. She had seen the woman pissed before, she didn't want to see her pissed again.

" What the hell were you thinking! Reading while crossing the damn street! Are you out of your mind? "

Aoi bent her head, causing strands to shadow her eyes. Did she really want to answer that question? She was Aoi, of course she was out of her mind. Wait, reading? Her head snapped back up.

" The book! Where's the book?"

Renny's lips quirked in dislike, her brow raising as she nodded in a certain direction. Aoi snapped to attention, her eyes quickly looking for the old book. A soft sigh of relief left her when she spotted the book laying on top one of the room's table. Thank god. It hadn't been damaged. She hadn't had the chance to read it yet.

She heard Renny sigh heavily.

" What in the world am I going to do with you Aoi. Here you are, have been for the past two weeks and the first thing you ask is ' where' s the book'. Jeez."

The girl laughed nervously.

" No, the first thing I asked was . What happened? "

She giggled but stopped when the woman thwacked her behind the head again. She moaned, rocking her injured head back and forth. Wasn't there some law about abusing patients?

The red head sighed as she shook her head, a small smile returning to her lips. Aoi reeled back against her hospital cot, dreading the worst. She had found in the last ten minutes that Renny's smile meant nothing good.

" It's good to have your stupidity back in the world. "

Aoi was surprised when the woman continued to smile genuinely. The gesture caused her to slowly relax as she returned the smile with one of her own.

" Well, I'm sure you're hungry. How about I go get us something from the vending machine? "

Aoi grinned as she gave a hardy nod, she could feel her mouth salivate as she thought of the small packages of junk food in the vending machines. " Can I have some melon bread? "

Renny stopped just as she was about to exit the room, she gazed at the girl, grinned and gave a nod before walking out, leaving the door ajar a little to where the girl could gaze out into the busy hallway.

Aoi gave a sigh before she smiled her form shifting , turning so that her feet were dangling to the side of her bed. She had been laying in a bed for too long and besides, she had really wanted to get a good look at that book.

" Hidey-ho! "

She called under her breath as she pushed her body off the bed, her feet smacking the cool tile floor with a soft squishy sound that only flesh could make. She shivered as she felt the coldness seep through her body causing instant gooseflesh to appear across her skin.

' It's cold! '

The thought was constant as she hopped about from foot to foot, hands rubbing against the bare skin of her arms. She quickly ran towards the book, her fingers swiping it off the table before she returned to her bed, jumping in and wrapping herself in the thin material. It did no good. It seemed the more she tried to warm herself, the colder it got.

' Don't go.'

The voice gripped Aoi, causing her to gasp in shock as electricity seemed to flow through her causing her an instant of pain. She hissed air through her teeth, bending over her legs, her hands gripping the book for dear life.

' Don't go. '

' Come back. '

' Aoi. '

' Ao…'

'Ah…'

" Aoi. "

Her eyes snapped open as her body ceased the constant of electricity and her body was released from the cold that had been gripping her. Her mind cleared causing her to look up. The sight of peppered hair through the crack of her door in the hospital hallway seemed to bring her to attention. It reminded her, of the old woman.

" Hey, wait a minute! "

She exclaimed, her body jumping up from the bed but stopping when she felt the tugging of her IV and heart monitor. She grunted, quickly tearing the needle out and throwing it at her bed. The room was filled with a long beep as the girl left the room to follow after the familiar figure that had called to her.

The room creaked, casting an almost supernatural glow about the room before the heart machine dimmed and the light went out.

* * *

' Aoi. '

She winced as she heard the sound of her name but did nothing more. Her mind at the time was more focused on the figure that seemed just a fingers width out of her reach. It seemed that every time she came close to catching her, the woman would disappear around a corner, the only evidence of her were the wisps of her hair.

' Will you hold still for a second! Let me catch you!'

She cried out agitatedly as she skidded a little to make the next corner. She grunted as she half slammed into someone, but that didn't seem to stop her, she quickly recovered and continued. For some reason, she had to catch that figure. That figure, had a pull on her, a safe line. It felt as if she didn't catch her, that she would be lost.

Renny gasped as she felt something smack into her left side. Her eyes widened as if in slow motion, strands of familiar blue hair swept past her face. The moment she glanced back, her eyes connecting with the one visible blue eye that belong to a familiar face the world seemed to revert to its normal pace.

The snacks in her arms fell to the floor with individual thuds that seemed to reverberate off the hospital walls rather loudly. She stood still, eyes wide, mouth agape as she watched the fading form of the girl.

' Aoi? '

The red head snapped to attention as the hallway the girl had just turned around darkened, shadows that seemed to be dancing drawing closer sending an air of oppressive aura.

" Aoi! "

Her voice ripped through the area causing eyes to turn to her as she took off running. Horror gripping her chest. She couldn't lose sight of the girl. For she feared if she did, she would never see the girl again.

' What the hell have you gotten yourself into this time. '

* * *

" Hey, wait, stop! Halt!"

The blue headed girl gasped out as she doubled over, her hands propped up against her knees the only thing keeping her up. A few seconds went by before she finally caught her breath and glanced up.

The old woman stood in front of her, a frown on her wrinkled face as her eyes bore into the girl. The attention caused the teen to squirm. Aoi bent her head, glancing up through strands of blue.

" I-I had a question. "

But the woman did not seem to hear her as she gazed through the girl, after a while her eyes strayed to the book at her side and she shook her head, a look of utter despair filling her eyes.

This caused Aoi to shy away with confusion.

" Dear child, I had feared it was you. "

" What? "

" That book you hold links you to another. You have no place in this world…"

The woman turned away and with her back stiff walked forward towards the edge of the rooftop. Aoi gawked her hand outstretching towards the woman as she watched her edging closer and closer to the edge, a hole in the fence.

" Wait, Stop! What are you doing?"

" Anymore. "

Aoi ran, her feet taking lead as they pushed her to the front, fingers grasping through the air, trying to reach the older woman as she fell front wards through the opening in the metal. She had been so into reaching the elder that she had not noticed her own impending doom.

Her body crashed into the fence linking around the hospital's roof and with a sickening creek it gave way and she could feel as she became airborne and fairly quickly began to fall just as she felt the solid form of hair between her fingers that once again left her with nothing but the view of the city below. She twisted mid fall, staring at the darkening sky.

Her eyes widened, blurring with tears of fright as she felt her body taken with gravity. Just as she could hardly see the side of the rooftop, a pair of green eyes clashed with her own, wide with fear and anguish. A hand shot out, fingers widespread and Aoi couldn't help but to mimic the gesture her mouth opening to scream but sound never coming.

' Renny! '

" Aoi! "

The sound of Renny's scream ripped through her like metal through soft flesh and caused everything else to mute. She could not even hear the sound of air as it rushed past her, she could not even hear the sound of her strangled scream as she hit hard, but kept falling.

Her world fell into darkness and soon, even Renny's terrified scream could not be heard. It was as if something had wrapped around her body protectively. Aoi wondered, if perhaps, this was what death truly felt like. Muted.


End file.
